Students donned togas for college night at the Getty Villa. (Kirsten Louie/ Neon Tommy)

College students from all over the L.A. area arrived at the darkened gates of the Getty Villa, excited for the activities in store on Tuesday night.

College Night at the Getty Villa is an annual cultural event that is free of admission and open to all college students.

Students were encouraged to dress up in their best togas to get in the mood for the art and activities that celebrate ancient Roman and Greek culture.

Entertainment ranged from a gladiator fashion show to caricature artists to DJ AUDIOMOE.

Many students wandered about the galleries, examining the ancient artifacts, but a definite highlight was the special exhibition, The Last Days of Pompeii: Decadence, Apocalypse, Resurrection.The exhibit features more modern artworks that revisit the story of Pompeii’s decay.

Expert curators stood by, ready to answer questions from the students passing through. Based on the vast number of colleges represented in large groups (including USC, UCLA, UCSB, Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine, California Lutheran, Santa Monica College, and Cal Poly Pomona) and the amount of student engagement throughout the villa, the Getty Villa staff can certainly deem this event a success.

Reach Contributor Kirstin here.